PK Goes to Paris: Mon Amour

Amour - Restaurant and Bar
8, Rue de Navarin
75009 Paris, France
11/16/06 - Thursday, 8:30 PM
Myself, darling Foodie Friend, and 2 of his French pals

OMG I WENT TO PARIS!
And I gained 8 pounds. Success!
It's the greatest food town in the world, gay Par-eee, and Amour was the last stop on the restaurant train. Foodie Friend and I had already devoured delicacies at superstar locales like Joel Robuchon's L'Atelier, so the last night needed to be special. We wanted hipster, locale flavor, and the kind of trendy-cool spot that a tourist could never find without the aid of an in-the-know. Cue two tragically hip Paris peeps, friends of the FF, and wahlah - you have a recipe for cool eatz in paradise.

Amour is a hotel and a restaurant, and it reeks of Nowness. Inside, the cozy space is littered with Paris beauties sporting designer jackets and tiny, fluffy pups. Paris Hilton, eat your heart out, these people started the trend, you big poser. Every over the top element just works in this city. I felt like a privileged outsider from word one.

The menu is a simple smattering, the service is pokey but sweet, and the wine list rather bites. But Amour has charm to spare, and the dishes were quite lovely. My cool quotient, however, is now through the roof, so you know, it was worth it *hair toss*

Drinks:

First, we had house champagne. When in Paris, oui? And since the bubbly is truly a gift from God, I can do nothing but praise.

Then, we selected a bottle of tangy, not-so-good Pinot Grigio, and moved on to a much milder and less offensive bottle some time later. All local delicacies, of course, and in French, so forgive my brain freeze. I speak Spanish, damn it!

Appies:



Fresh Figs with Goat Cheese and Olive Oil
-- Holy crap, how do they get their figs to ooze such sweet goodness? These puppies were 'roid addicts, clearly, and bless them for it. A simple but magnifique creation, so sweet and creamy.



Charcuterie Plate
-- Thinly sliced, super salty, fatty little strips of tasty meat. Yup, that says it all.



Salad Amour
-- Heaps of romaine, sliced apple, blue cheese, and walnuts, with a light vinegar dressing. Quite tasty, but also quite standard. There's something about eating French cheese in Paris, however, just a stone's throw from the grass and moo cows who created the creamy masterpiece. Nice all around.

Entrees:



Streak Frites
- Seriously, could I eat my way through France and not have this dish at least once? It was my last chance, but I timed this perfectly. The steak wasn't dressed down or over cooked - when you say raw in this country, they just smile and nod. SO good. And the French fries were tear-worthy - uber crisp and perfect in every conceivable way. I love me some French comfort food.



Tuna Tartare
- Since my super mean and apparently ravenous FF scarfed this down in record time, I didn't get to sample. I hear it was quite good, but nothing to freak out about.

Desserts:



Chocolate Cake
- Oh holy mother of all things sugary, I bow to this baby. All right, so it won't win any awards for originality, but the chocolate was dark as night and ultra smooth. The bottom layer of the cake had a crispy, wafery crunch, and it was decorated with an X and O. This is love. True, everlasting, real deal love.



Greek Style Yogurt with Bobo
- I was a tad confused by this strange looking tapestry, but wow was it good. I can't even tell you what the flavors actually were, but it reminded me of a kicky boba, with the tapioca beads and the most potent yogurt you've ever experienced. Super unique and refreshing, this was a definite winner.

Damage for 4 glasses of champagne, 1 full and 1 half bottle of wine, 4 appies, 4 entrees, and 3 desserts was a very reasonable $220 Euros, before tip.

That's Amour. Eh :)

RESTAURANT REPORT CARD - Amour, Visit 1

Ambiance - B
Service - B-
Food (Taste) - B-
Food (Presentation) - B-
Wine/Drinks - C-
Value - B+
Vibe/Energy/Scene - A-

Overall Experience - B-

Final word - fall in love with the non-touristy side of Paris, and don't lose your shirt in the process. Amour rocks.

Kitty Speaks